Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Emily Elconin
A 58-year-old man, Ryan Routh, was arrested and charged with federal gun crimes on Sunday, September 15, for allegedly attempting to assassinate former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump. The incident took place at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where gunshots were fired. Following the arrest, Routh’s former neighbor expressed disbelief at his involvement.
The neighbor, who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, spoke to FOX 8 WGHP anonymously, recalling that while Routh had always seemed a little odd, she never expected him to carry out such a violent act. “Him, I mean, trying to shoot Trump. That’s a lot. I would have never guessed, and I would have sworn up and down, no, that’s not him,” she said.
She did, however, acknowledge that Routh had a history of owning firearms, which had made some people uneasy. “I have seen the guns myself and all, and yeah, they had a lot of guns and stuff over there, and, yeah, a lot of people were afraid of him back in the day,” she told reporters, as quoted by HuffPost.
According to ABC 25 WPBF News, Secret Service agents found Routh hiding in the bushes near the golf club, armed with an AK-style assault rifle. Authorities revealed that Routh had attempted to flee the scene in an SUV before being apprehended. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder noted that Routh showed no surprise at his arrest. “He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it.”
Routh, a former Trump supporter during the 2016 campaign, shifted his political allegiance in 2020, endorsing Democratic candidate Tulsi Gabbard. Recent court documents revealed that Routh had waited in the bushes for nearly 12 hours with a loaded rifle, plotting his attack on Trump.
If convicted, Routh could face up to 20 years in prison for the attempted assassination, given the gravity of the charges. The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of Secret Service security measures, especially since this marks the second assassination attempt on Trump in recent years. In a previous incident, Trump narrowly survived a shooting attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, NBC News reported.
Routh’s motivations appear to stem from disillusionment with Trump’s foreign policies. In a self-published book, Ukraine’s Unwinnable War, Routh criticized Trump, stating, “[Trump] ended up being brainless, but I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake.”
